No Regrets
by ForeverSpeechless
Summary: The apocalypse wasn't a part of the plan. Then again, when had anything in Demeter's life ever been a part of a plan? From Shelby, and now to a guy she thought would be impossible to love, things sure were getting stranger by the minute... but would she be willing to risk everything she's ever felt comforted by just for one life?
1. Forget Me Not

**Hey guys! This is my first post EVER! I could really use some advice, and input on what you think I should do. I'm not exactly positive as to how I feel about this story, but it was requested by one of my friends. So, hope you enjoy!**

She needed a blanket, and so did I. I couldn't help but beat myself up by thinking, "How the hell could I forget blankets?" That was what made me leave the basement, dragging her along with me, only to find the main levels of the department store in utter chaos. I heard someone screaming, but couldn't place which side of the building it was coming from. At first, I thought it was her, and my heart had stopped.. Even with all of the... zombies- for lack of a better term- walking around in Atlanta, my main concern was taking care of Shelby. She was all I had left, and I would be damned if I lost her because we didn't have blankets.

"Aunty?" she whispered to me, tugging on my arm softly. I glanced ahead, only seeing of few zombies in front of us.

I figured that as long as we were quiet, we could manage this. But first, I had to make sure she was okay. "Yes, Shelbs?" I replied gently, crouching down and putting on my best smile. However when she glanced behind me and pointed, a horrified expression crossing her angelic face, my smile faded quickly. I turned and looked, not shocked at all by who it was. "Shit!" I hissed when I heard the first gunshot. "Shelby!" I yelled and put her behind me, trying to shield her from the hundreds of zombies now attracted to us. "Remember what I told you!" I screamed and stepped back toward the door we had come from.

Quickly and quietly, I shoved her back into the department store, only to find that the zombies were just beginning to break through the heavy doors. Shelby had tears of fear streaming down her red cheeks, causing her bright blue eyes to become dull and lifeless. Sighing, I scooped her up and headed to the back alley, avoiding the zombies now running at us.

"Was that mommy?" Shelby sobbed into my neck, broken-hearted.

"Oh. No, Shelbs," I lied, trying to comfort her even while I was in the middle of this screwed-up situation. I kicked the door to the alley open and widened my eyes with surprise. So this was the retard who attracted them all? Luckily for me, he seemed surprised to see me, and even more surprised to see Shelby. "What the-"

"You been bit?" the asian boy asked me and I shook my head quickly in response, surprised at how familiar he looked. "I'm Glenn," he continued, "Hate to stop there, but we've got to go. We're in a bit of trouble. Where the hell is Rick?"

I glanced at the bag of guns slung on his shoulder. "I... I..."

"You don't have much of a choice if you want to live!" he screamed frightfully, causing Shelby to cry even harder.

A truck pulled up at the end of the alley, followed by the sounds of the dead closing in. "Glenn!" a man in the front screamed, "Hurry the hell up!"

The asian boy, Glenn, glanced at us again, frantic. He grabbed my hand, making a split-second decision, and started to run for it. I followed and ended up running faster than him, even with Shelby in my arms. The door opened and I jumped into the seat without a second thought about who these people could be. Shelby was clinging to me, sobbing loudly.

Glenn slid in next to us furiously, screaming, "Rick! Go!" before turning to Shelby and I, "What the hell is wrong with you!" he screamed directly at me as Rick sped away, "Why the hell were you in Atlanta?"

"We were living there when the outbreak hit," I replied, growing irritated, "We've been trying to find a way out for awhile now and we were pretty close to getting there. We were doing just fine in there until you dumbasses decided to shoot your guns!"

The cab of the truck grew absolutely silent other than Shelby's cries. I broke my steely gaze away from Glenn's face and looked at the man sitting on the other side of us.

He was staring at Shelby and I with disgust, his blue eyes piercing through us. "Eithera y'all been bit?" his voice had a harsh georgian drawl as he glared at us, running his hand through his medium length, shaggy brown hair.

I shook my head no, and noticed him relax a little bit. Trying to ignore Shelby's shaking and weeping, I spoke softly, "My name is Demeter, and this is my niece, Shelby."

"I'm Rick," the man driving said, nodding his head at me.

"T-dog, babydoll," the black man up front winked and I smiled at him.

"We met briefly," Glenn said, "but how 'bout a proper introduction?" he held out his hand, "Glenn."

"Demeter," I shook his hand hesitantly, watching how his eyes softened when he looked at Shelby. I raised my eyebrow at him and he shook his head, holding up a finger to say "hang on a second."

"That rude ass redneck back there is Daryl Dixon, babydoll," T-dog laughed harshly.

A moment of silence followed between all of the adults. Shelby's raspy breathing was beginning to worry me. She had never been this upset and I was afraid she would start to hyperventilate if I didn't get her to stop soon.

"Shelbs," I said soothingly, "You've got to calm down, baby. Breathe."

She sat up slightly at the sound of my voice, her eyes revealing fresh tears. "My mommy," she cries, "M-m-my mm-ooo-mmy!" she collapsed in a heap on me.

"How old is she?" Rick asked me quietly.

"Four," I reply softly, my heart breaking a little more each time she whimpers.

"I never thought I'd see anyone under the age of nine again," T-dog tries to make a joke and falls flat.

"How the hell did ya get along for that long in Atlanta?" Daryl demanded, "World's fulla walkers and crazy fuckin' people nah." He sulked as far away from me as possible in the truck, staring hotly at Rick.

"We've talked 'bout this Dixon," Rick hissed, straightening his hat upon his head, "I said I was sorry."

Rick's badge flashed as the setting sun hit it, just as I was about to speak. "And what did Mr. Good Cop do to you?" I asked, curious as to what his answer was going to be.

"Here we go again," Glenn groaned, banging his head up against the car door, "For the twelfth time since we've left camp."

"He handcuffed my brother Merle to the roofa that department store," Daryl spat angrily.

"Ouch," I let out a breath, "That sucks man. Sorry."

"'S cool," he replied, turning to look out the window just as we passed a walker.

We were headed to the quarry- a place I knew well thanks to many family trips there. It was growing dark and as I held a trembling Shelby in my arms, I realized for the first time that maybe I was wrong and being with people was a good idea for us. Just maybe not these guys.

Then it hit me. Glenn had said camp. There were more survivors. Would there be children? Women? Pets? Most importantly, was it safe?


	2. Li'l Cutie

**Well, I'm going with it. Thanks to RachelNicole523 for following this story! :) This chapter is fairly short, but it gets better from here. Feel free to review! It only helps.**

By the time we pulled up to the quarry, it was dark out. I could make out the faint light of a fire burning about seventy feet away, and I heard a mixture of voices. Then there was laughter and my heart fluttered in my chest. For the first time in months, I was hearing something joyful.

Shelby was sound asleep in my lap, and when I moved she stirred slightly, clinging onto me. "Can someone give me a bit of help?" I asked, then paused,listening. "Is that moa-"

"Help!" someone screamed from in front of the RV.

"No!" someone else screamed, running toward the open door.

Daryl, Rick, T-dog, and Glenn took off running. I quickly set Shelby on the seat next to me, and sprinted after them, pulling my knife out of its holster on my leg. A walker came at me from one side and I knifed him in the face, moving on toward the fire quickly. Two walkers came out of the woods, and I got one of them immediately. The other one ended up behind someone.

Recognizing the leather vest, I yelled, "Dixon!" He turned around too slowly. The walker was nearly on top of him. I wouldn't be able to reach him in time, and seeing the surprised expression on the rednecks face scared the hell out of me. Not skipping a beat, I aimed and threw my knife. The crushing sound it made was incredibly satisfying, and the anger it earned me from Daryl was so worth it. "Nevermind," I said and stepped over to the fallen walker, yanking my knife out of its head, "Think I got it."

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes and headed into the now silent clearing, "Who'd we lose?" he leaned in close to a fairly buff man and whispered loudly.

"Amy and Ed," the man sighed, then turned around when I stepped up, "Hello there," his grin was untrustworthy to me, "I'm Shane."

"Demeter," I replied, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Nice to have you join us," he said, smiling brightly. It didn't help the way I felt about him already.

"Nice to have some people around," I laughed, playing along uncomfortably.

"You come alone?" Shane asked me, pointing to the truck where a walker was smacking the window repeatedly. "That truck sure don't look it."

"That's 'cause it ain't empty yet," Daryl said calmly while I began to panic and run for the truck just as a tiny scream erupted from within it. Something whizzed past me and before I knew it the walker had an arrow in its eye. I glanced behind me, seeing the smug look on Daryl's face. "We even?"

"More than even," I yelled back and finished the distance to the truck door. I flung it open wide and Shelby jumped into my arms, surprisingly not crying. I relaxed a little bit. "You alright Shelbs?"

"I fine," she said and looked around her, "Who are all these people, Aunty?"

Her precious little voice instantly calmed me down. I looked around me and realized how many people I didn't know. Everyone was standing there, staring at us as I held her. "Well, Shelby," I sighed.

Rick stepped up with an arm around a young-looking woman. "Hello Shelby," he smiled kindly, hiding the pain he was feeling from her, "I'm Rick, this is my wife Lori, and this here," a little boy stepped up beside him, "is my son Carl."

"Hi Wick, Lowwy, and Car..." she furrowed her eyebrows together, "Car-el."

"Hi," Carl responded, smiling at the way she said his name.

"We'll work on it," I winked at him.

He shook his head. "I like it."

"Down," Shelby said and I just looked at her, "Can I get down?" she rephrased.

I set her down on her feet and she walked around the camp a little bit curiously. She stood next to a blonde woman crouched over a body sobbing and quickly moved on.

She stepped over to a woman and her daughter watching her carefully. "That's Carol and her daughter Sophia," Rick said to me softly, "They just lost her husband, Ed." I nodded and watched Shelby move around some more. "That," he continued when she stopped in front of some people again, "is Morales and his family."

"And I'm Dale," an old man with a floppy hat said, a weak smile across his face, "That there is Andrea," he nodded to the woman on the ground.

"Nice to meet you Dale," I said, turning my attention back to Shelby and what she was doing, "I'm Demeter, and that sweetheart is my niece Shelby."

Shelby turned back to me and smiled the way that only she can. She had just stopped in front of Daryl, who was glancing between the two of us suspiciously. I watched her watch him curiously and put a stupid looking smile on my face as I watched what she did next. Her arms wrapped around his neck before he had the time to react.

"Woah there," he yelped, catching her in his arms so she didn't fall on her butt.

She laughed cheerfully and pulled away, "I'm Shelby." It took me a second to realize that he was the only one she talked to. Great. Of all people, she likes a tough, redneck, stubborn ass fool. Well, at least he was good looking. I sighed, my smile not faltering

"I'm Daryl," he responded, glancing at everyone else questioningly, like he had no idea what he was doing..

I shrugged at him, just as confused as him. Then Shelby did something that made everyone but Daryl and Andrea laugh- she grabbed Daryl's hand and said, "I like you. You're tough!"

"Shelby," I managed to stifle my laugh, "Come here baby."

She walked to me and everyone dispersed quickly. I began to turn around and saw Daryl shake his head. Even more than that, I heard him whisper, "Little cutie." A smile crossed my face before I had a chance to stop it.


	3. Drivin' Around

**I could really use some reviews. ^.^ haha. I've been thinking about making their stay at the CDC a little longer than in the TV show so I could work some more on story line and character development. Whatya think? Hope you enjoy!**

I woke up in the front of the truck, the sun seeming to have just begun to show over the tops of the trees. That must have been the first time I'd slept since the dead began to come back to life. Glancing into the back, my heart leaped out of my chest.

"Shelby?" I asked, reaching back and grabbing her empty blanket. "Dammit," I cursed, "That little girl is going to be the death of me!" Quickly, I climbed out and jogged to the center of camp. Everyone seemed surprised to see me, but were wide awake themselves. "Has anyone seen Shelby?" I questioned, completely panicking.

Shane smiled and winked knowingly. "Over there," he nodded.

My head snapped in the direction he had nodded. Shelby was sitting with Carl, playing games while T-dog, Rick, Daryl, and a man I thought was called Jim burned the bodies of the walkers. "Why didn't you guys wake me up?" I demanded, "I could be helping right now."

"You needed rest," Lori sighed, shrugging at my ferocity, "and now you need to eat before you do anything."

She handed me a plate full of food and my stomach growled. How long had it been since I'd eaten last? Two, three... no... five days. "Thanks," I smiled gratefully, feeling slightly self-conscious.

"Looks like you haven't eaten a while," Carol grimaced, looking at my torn up shirt. It used to be tight. "Which is funny, because Shelby looks just fine." Her eyebrow raised questioningly.

"I haven't," I admitted sadly, "and when I had food to eat, I gave most of it to Shelbs. Not much food in Atlanta anymore."

Carol nodded as if she understood. "Well, you aren't alone anymore. We'll all help with her."

"Than-"

"Jim's been bit!" a black woman interrupted me.

I stayed sitting on a log long enough to see Rick and Shane restrain Jim. My feet carried me forward as Carl ran to Lori, and Shelby stayed put, unsure of what was going on. Daryl yanked Jim's shirt up, revealing the nasty bite.

"Shit," Daryl hissed.

"Icky," Shelby scrunched up her nose.

Jim was hysterical. "No, no, no," he sobbed, looking between the rest of the group pleadingly.

Rick shoved him next to the RV while the rest of us circled up to discuss a plan. I noticed Andrea was with us, but she looked so sad it was as if she wasn't.

"What do we do?" Lori looked at Rick with wide eyes.

"We kill 'im," Daryl stated simply, and I couldn't really argue with his logic. Jim would die of the fever, and then turn into a walker. Might as well save him from the oncoming misery.

"No," Rick held up a hand to silence him, "The CDC."

"Why?" I asked, surprised by that answer, "The CDC is closer to Atlanta than this. I doubt there's anyone there, too. Last time Shelby and I were near there it was a deadzone."

"Well, while y'all stand around chit-chattin', I'm gonna get the job done," Daryl charged at Jim with a pickaxe, releasing somewhat of a battle cry.

Rick screamed, "No Daryl!" and I heard a click, causing me to turn to stare at him, "We don't kill the living."

"That's funny, comin' from a man who jus' put a gun to my head," Daryl snapped, stalking away angrily.

"It's our only chance of savin' him," Rick continued, getting the attention of everyone back on him, "I heard they were working on a cure."

"CDC it is," T-dog sighed.

Shelby and I didn't attend the burials of the ones that were lost the night before. I could say that it was because we didn't know them, but really, it was out of respect. Those were their people before we were their people. They deserved a proper goodbye, and we would only disrupt that.

Apparently Daryl felt the same way. As he sat across from us, skinning a squirrel, I decided that maybe he was in the same situation as us. From what I could tell, no one really liked his older brother, Merle, before he was left behind, and Daryl was living in his shadow with this group.

There was something about him... something that I could relate to, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. Shelby stood as Daryl finished skinning his squirrel and stepped over to him shyly. He looked up, his usual scowl on his face. When he realized it was her, his eyes softened and I could tell that he cared about her- genuinely.

"Yeah?" he asked, his deep southern voice booming in the silence of the clearing.

"Can I sit with ya?" Shelby asked him sweetly, rocking up on her toes.

"Uh... sure li'l cutie," he winked at her, wiping the blood on his pants and patting his leg.

She climbed up into his lap without another word and snuggled against his chest. In an instant, she was out.

"If you want, I can move her in a second," I smirked, beginning to stand up from the ground.

"'s alright," he held up a hand to stop me.

"Oh," I plopped back down on the ground, "You sure?"

He nodded, looking up at me. His sky blue eyes sparkled with the intensity of the sunlight and my heart stopped. "Woah," I thought. When I first looked at Daryl, he was just good looking trailer trash. He looked different with Shelby in his arms. It was weird seeing a big, muscular, redneck holding a little itty-bitty girl.

"Y'all wanna ride with me?" Daryl asked me softly, breaking me from my thoughts.

"If you don't mind," I shrugged disinterestedly, even though I definitely was, "There's really nowhere else to ride but the RV. I can't drive."

Daryl snorted with disbelief, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, "How old are ya?"

"Nineteen," I admitted, grinning at him foolishly.

"Why the hell can't ya drive then?" he asked me, dumbfounded.

"Never had a reason to learn, I guess," I answered, beginning to think about how things used to be. Being able to drive would have made getting out of Atlanta a whole hell of a lot easier.

"Fair 'nough," he spit on the ground beside his folding chair, looking thoughtful and slightly uncomfortable, "Wanna learn?"

"Who's gunna teach me?" I questioned, "Ain't nobody got time for that!" I laughed.

"Me," he squinted, looking at the sky.

"I'm down," I nodded gratefully.

"Nah, you're punk," he studied me, smiling slightly.

I raised my eyebrows, impressed that I made him smile. It faded just as quickly as it had appeared. I felt my face and laughed at myself. "Not really. Just rebellious. I hated to do what my parents told me to do. That's why I moved in with my sister." Along with some other things that he didn't need to know about.

"How long has it been since ya looked at yourself, woman?" he almost smiled again.

"Was it that obvious?" I sighed.

It had definitely been a while. Not only that, I was so used to my facial piercings that I didn't feel them anymore. I suppose it was sad that I didn't know what my face looked like, or what my hair looked like, or just how skinny I was.

But, if I didn't like myself before, how could I possibly like myself now?


	4. Open Doors

**So I know that this part is particularly short, but the next few parts are really long. :) Hope you enjoy it! And guys? I really need reviews. Let me know where you stand. What do you like? What don't you like? **

**Oh, and I'd like to thank Lilly72, RachelNicole523, and lovezjacobblack for following this story, as well as lovezjacobblack and TheGirlThatIsBorderLineCrazy for favoriting. I really appreciate the support!**

**Lilly72- Yeah, I really figured it would be the only way to really fit it in and make the story work and flow well :) I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying it!**

"This is not a good idea," I swallowed nervously, glancing at Daryl.

"That's why were behind ever'body else," he rolled his eyes, setting his crossbow at his feet and glancing in the back, "She buckled up?"

I nodded, then smiled. "Be thankful Dixon," I said and he raised his eyebrows, "At least I know how to start the truck."

He smirked at my attempt of a joke. "Oh good," he said sarcastically.

"Well, that was an experience," I hissed out a breath, relaxing my body a bit.

"Ya did good," Daryl said to me softly, moving Shelby from his lap, "Li'l cutie, stay in here for a second." He waited for her to nod before getting out of his truck, immediately taking out walkers.

"You can come with me," I rolled my eyes at his sudden protectiveness of her, but actually thought it was sweet.

"Okay Aunty," Shelby smiled, "Piggyback ride?"

"Of course!" I smiled at her warmly, climbing out of the truck.

Shelby jumped onto my back, holding onto my shoulders. I began to run to the rest of the group, taking out walkers as I went. As I walked by the old security gate, I flinched. Thousands of bodies- soldiers, women, and even children- laid on the pavement. My heart beat quickly as I began to step over bodies. "Jesus," I thought to myself, "there are so many of them." An arrow whizzed by my head and I spun around quickly, stabbing a different walker in the forehead.

"How many times am I gonna have to save your ass, punk?" Daryl yelled at me in a somewhat teasing tone.

I felt Shelby hide her face and yelled in reply, "As long as I got you back! Speaking of back, you want your arrow Dixon?"

"Yeah!" he responded distantly.

Quickly, I leaned down and yanked his arrow out of the walker's eye and ran carefully to the rest of the group, double checking that everyone was there. Lori, Carl, Rick, Shane, Daryl, Carol, Sophia, Jacquie, Dale, Andrea... No Jim. I swallowed, watching Shane and Rick look around and try to find a way into the must've turned on the way here.

"Rick, we don't have time for this," Lori said as Daryl shot another walker, "It's gettin' dark out, honey."

"Damn it!" Rick screamed as everyone turned their backs on him, "Wait! The camera moved!"

"Rick!" Shane yelled, "We have to go! Come on! No one's here!"

"You're killing us!" Rick screamed at the camera, banging on the door, "I hope you know that!" Finally, near tears, Rick turned his back to the door and began to walk with the rest of us.

There was a loud noise and a bright flash of light. We turned around, shielding our eyes.

"Holy shit," I said and stepped toward the door.

"You'll have to comply to a blood test if you want to come in," the man standing in the doorway said.

"That's fine," Rick responded quickly.

"Get your stuff then," he said, "Once this door shuts, it won't open again."

It sounded a bit eerie to me, but Shelby and I were still the only ones with nothing but what we had on, so were the first ones to get into the building. Turning around, I saw about a hundred walkers walking toward the CDC building. My heart thudded in my chest as I hoped everyone would make it back in time.

Daryl was the first one back, cursing under his breath. Almost everyone had made it back when the man began shutting the door.

"No!" T-dog yelled, "Stop!"

"I'm sorry.I can't," the man said, a tear falling from his eye.

The door slammed shut, leaving Jacquie on the other side.

A stunned silence fell over the group. We could hear her screams through the door and it caused all of us to wince. I hadn't really known her, but still, tears fell from my a horrible way to die. Especially when the door to safety was slammed right in front of your face.

"What the hell was that?!" T-dog demanded, more upset than angry, "You just left her out there to die!"

"Better one of us, than all of us," Daryl piped up roughly, causing me to flinch at the harsh truth in those words.

"That's bullshit!" T-dog continued.

A thought crossed my mind. "Now I may not know the whole story," I started, holding a hand up to stop the possible conflict that could ensue, "but how was what you guys did to Dixon's brother any different?" Daryl looked at me, a look of pure shock on his face. Everyone was silent again. "Now," I went on, turning to the man, "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Dr. Jenner," he introduced himself before continuing, "Right this way." he began to walk off toward a door.

"Okay then," I heard Rick mutter, "I'm Rick," he followed him closely.

"Shelbs," I said breathlessly, suddenly winded, "You have to get down and walk baby."

"Okay," she slid off of my back.

"'ey li'l cutie," Daryl fell back beside us, not hiding the fact that he was quite taken with Shelby, "You ready?"

"Uh-huh," she smiled and took a step forward.

My heart broke when she yelped and fell in a heap on the floor.


	5. Disbelief

**Amethystina- The Hippie: Here's your answer... **

**So, I had a really hard time writing this chapter. I'm not sure what it was that made it so tough, but it just sucked. Nothing I did made it feel right... :P Sorry for the huge downer guys. I promise that there will be some more one-on-one time/ bonding coming up...**

"Shelby!" I cried and everyone turned to look at us, "Baby, what's wrong?"

"My ankle," she sobbed, flinching away from Daryl when he crouched down to take a look and see what was wrong, "It hurts Aunty."

"Dixon?" I asked, kneeling beside Shelby's head and smoothing her hair back, "Please tell me she just twisted it."

"Demeter," he said softly and my eyes met his. He shook his head and glanced down, unable to go on, but letting me know what I needed to know.

On Shelby's ankle was a bright red scratch.

"Oh my god," I whimpered, "Not my baby. God, please not my baby," I looked up at the ceiling, going to my last resort.

"You have to shoot her," Jenner said coldly, "Now."

I saw Daryl stand and cross over to Jenner angrily. "That li'l girl is four years old. Ya gonna let 'er spend her last few minutes with the ones she loves."

I felt Shelby's forehead, ignoring the rest of the conversation between the two of the,. Fresh tears stung my eyes. "She's burning up," my voice was small, and my thoughts raged. This is it. After all of it, I'm losing her to a single scratch. After all the times I tried...

"She's small," Jenner whispered into the nearly silent room, "It takes less time for the infection to spread."

"No," I cried, bending over and resting my forehead against hers. "You'll be okay, baby. I promise you," I whispered to her soothingly, trying to collect myself.

Her eyelids were already half-closed, and her breathing was harsh and shallow. She smiled at me slightly- the innocent smile that only a child can muster. Finally, a shaky sentence erupted like a cannon blast in the quiet room. "Am I going where my mommy is?"

I pulled away, crying even harder, wanting to tell her the truth more than ever, and nodded, "Heaven. It's a place called heaven, Shelbs."

"Will I hear you singing in heaven, Aunty?" she asked me softly, what was showing of her eyes beginning to glaze over.

"Always," I replied clearly, "Whenever you want."

"How 'bout now? Sing for me now," her voice grew softer, "I know ya miss it most. Moosic."

I laughed and cried at the same time, "Of course I'll sing now, baby."

"The one ya used to," she shut her eyes.

I skipped to the verse that fit the moment, crying while I sang, "To think I might not see those eyes, makes it so hard not to cry. As we say our long goodbye, I nearly do..." I stopped, looking at her still, lifeless body. "No!" I scream at her, at the world, "No!" my heart is quickly breaking inside.

A hand touched my shoulder and I turn away from Shelby's body just as a shot rings throughout the room. Daryl wraps his arms around me as I sob, but I barely even notice him. All he is right now, is the scent that filled the cab of his truck all afternoon. But Shelby? She's gone, and I'm still here, in her place.

"How was your shower?" Lori asked me a few hours later, probably trying to make me feel better.

I shrugged. "It was a shower." Under any other circumstance, I would have been happy to take a nice hot shower, put on some clean clothes, and brush my teeth. But right now, the truth as to what had happened in the past few hours was something I would've rather not admitted.

After my blood had been drawn, Jenner had walked me to a room, stating that the woman who been staying there had been about my size. I had nodded numbly, mumbling a thank you before locking myself in... and besides being clean, smelling good, and having different clothes on, not much had changed.

Daryl walked into the living area, clean and concerned looking, and marched right over to me. "Ya 'lright?" he asked.

I nodded, staring at him blankly. "Fine Dixon. Never been better."

"Oh really?" he sat down beside me, something not quite right with him.

"What's eating at you Dixon?" I snapped, looking into his icy blue eyes. For a brief moment, I saw the loss and hurt in them and I swallowed.

"Nothin'," he grumbled, looking away.

Carol walked over and sat in front of me, looking at me as if she wanted to know something. I raised my eyebrows, wanting her to get it over with. "She wasn't really your niece, was she?" she asked me softly, just as Rick, Shane, and Andrea walked into the room. All eyes in the room were on me immediately. Tears welled up in my eyes as I shook my head no. "She never knew, did she?" her voice was filled with pity.

Again, I shook my head, this time a bit angry with the question. "No, she didn't know I was actually her mother. I didn't want her to."

Andrea gasped, "Why?"

Normally, especially in front of a guy or two, I would have stopped right then and shut everyone out. But, I just couldn't. Not this time. Not in this new world. And so, for the first time ever, I stumbled through telling other people my story.

"Think about it," I spat out disgustedly, "She was four. I'm nineteen. That puts me at fifteen when I had her."

"That's not so bad," Shane said, shrugging indifferently, "I've known twelve year olds that have gotten preg-"

"I was raped," I blurted, biting my lip and holding back tears yet again.

"Oh my god," Lori sat down, a hand over her heart, "That's just awful."

What she had said wouldn't have bugged me if it hadn't seemed so fake. I still went on though, needing to get it all out now. "Even my sister thought it was by choice," I began to shake, "I just never had the heart to tell her what happened because I knew she'd want to know who had done it."

"Who?" Daryl demanded, not meeting my eyes, and shocking just about everyone in the room.

"My father," I whimpered, allowing myself to finally break down.

"Honey," Carol said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I flinched away. "No. Just stop, okay?" I became angry so quickly that not even I realized it had happened, "I never thought I could love her like that- so much. Ever. But Shelby," I paused briefly, glancing around the room, "She had a way of weaseling her way into your heart." And I hated her for it. For making me lover her and then leaving me like that.

"There's more to it than that," Rick said quietly, "I can tell."

It wasn't really an accusation, but it came across as one.

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes, annoyed with myself for even trying to make them understand what I meant, "I'm going to bed."

"Sleep well," Shane tried as I began to walk away.

I snorted, "Fuck you."

You try losing someone like that. Sleeping wasn't really an option after that.


	6. Scars

**I tried... haha. This chapter isn't the best, fair warning, but there is some bonding time. :) Hope you enjoy it!**

**Oh and thanks for the reviews guys! It's helping me out a lot! **

"Demeter?" a southern drawl woke me early the next morning, "'Ey punk! They sent me up ta get ya. Hope you're decent," Daryl walked into the bathroom and saw me laying on the floor, "What the hell?" I sat up, feeling dizzy but satisfied. My lips parted and I tried to explain, but the words just wouldn't come out. "Holy shit, punk," he muttered and stepped over to me, avoiding the blood on the tile, "Gettin' shit-faced drunk is better 'en this."

I giggled stupidly, on a high. "Oh Dixon," then I grew serious, "Please don't tell anyone about this."

He thought for a moment before answering, his blue eyes sparkling. "Fine, but you're gonna answer a few of my questions while I clean this fuckin' blood up." I nodded, figuring it was better than being on suicide-watch. "Punk," he sighed, "'s that why you always wear long sleeves?" he nodded at my arms, mopping up the blood on the floor with a towel.

I looked at the white scars and fresh cuts on my wrists. "Yeah," I admitted, pursing my lips.

"Next," he shook his head, disappointed in me, obviously, "Why do ya do it?"

That one actually made me think for a second. But then, as if it was a play-by-play, every single thing that I had ever done wrong flashed before my eyes. Going to the party at Jimmy's when I was twelve, trying just that little bit of cocaine, not telling my mom I loved her before she died, saying my father could take me somewhere... all of it. Until it finally settled on an image. A blonde girl who had dyed the tips of her hair blue, had her lip, nose, and belly-button pierced just because her mom didn't want her to, wore a long sleeve shirt in the middle of a georgian summer just to hide the scars on her wrists that held her pain, and the one who was abnormally skinny because she cared too much about someone that was now gone.

And so, even as it felt stupid for me to be saying it to Daryl Dixon. I let my answer slip out: "I don't like myself, Daryl."

He stopped wiping the floor up and looked at me. "I don't like maself either, Demeter. But ya don't see me slittin' my wrists over it."

That, to say the least, was not the answer I had been expecting.

"Thanks," I said to Daryl as we walked down the hallway, toward the dining room, "I owe you one."

"Here's how ya can pay me," he sighed sadly, stopping and looking at me, "Don't do it anymore."

"I might be able to manage that," I smirked, thinking of Shelby, "She really liked you, you know."

"I know," Daryl reached forward and grabbed my hand, "I don' say this often, Demeter. But, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I let out a breath, "She's in a better place," I squeezed his hand, surprisingly enjoying the feel of it in mine. It was something I didn't do often, or even felt like doing often, but for some reason, this time was different. I imagined myself doing this often, and enjoying it more and more every time.

"True," he nodded, snatching his hand back. Obviously, he didn't do it often either.

"Demeter!" someone yelled down the hallway, running my way.

Carl tackled me, knocking me down. "Woah!" I yelped, wrapping my arms around him as I fell on my ass.

"Carl," Lori said sternly.

"He's fine Lori," I smiled weakly. Shelby used to do that. My heart ached and tears threatened to spill over.

"Hey there," Jenner said, walking down to meet us, "I need to talk to you about something Demeter."

"What's up?" I asked, glancing around the group now surrounding me. For the first time in a day or two, I noticed Glenn.

"What your niece said," Jenner continued, and I flinched at the word niece, "about the music?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded, standing up.

"There's an instrumental room," his voice was soft, "Feel free to use it."

"Thanks," this time my smile was genuine, "Where is it?"

"Down that hallway," he pointed.

I took off running, feeling joy for the first time in awhile. I swung open the only door and let out a squeal. There was a baby-grand tucked in one corner, a microphone, guitars, drums... everything you could possibly think of. My heart hammered in my chest as I looked around, deciding to start with the piano.

I walked over, trying to maintain a steady pace. My mind raced and I knew what I should sing. One of my sister's old favorites. I played the opening chords, sitting down on the bench. My eyes closed as I played, and I sang from the heart.

"Lying beside you, here in the dark," I grinned, "Feeling your heartbeat, with mine. Softly you whisper, you're so sincere," my voice shrank to a whisper, "How could our love be so blind?" I was aware of the group forming a circle around the piano and I opened my eyes and looked at all of them as I played, noticing the only person missing instead of who was there, "We sailed on together, we drifted apart. And here you are by my side..."

I sang through the chorus once before stopping and accepting their applause graciously, blushing slightly. It had been awhile since I had done anything like that- even longer than when the world had ended. I had forgotten how good it felt to perform for people.

"Know anything on the guitar?" Sophia asked me, smiling slightly.

"Only the acoustic," I grinned again, "Want me to play?"

"Sure," Carol smiled, "You sounded fantastic, sweety."

"Thanks," I looked around, "Where's Dixon?"

"I don't know," Rick said, raising his eyebrows at me, "Why?"

"Just wondering," I shrugged indifferently.

"Do you know any Green Day?" Glenn piped up, "They were my favorite."

It hit me then. "You were the pizza boy!" I shrieked, causing him to smile, "You used to flirt with me all the time!"

"I was waiting for you to remember," he laughed, "But really. Know any Green Day?"

The room bursted out with laughter and I nodded, "Just one though."

The remainder of the day was good. I was preoccupied and could focus on things other than Shelby. Until about eight o'clock that evening, when everything began to fall apart again. I pulled away from the group unnoticed, walking back to my room, growing sadder as I went along.

She would have loved it here. She would have been happy here. She could have lived here. My heart stopped. I would never see her smile, hear her laugh, or be woken up by hugs and kisses from her ever again. Never again would I hold her or kiss her "ouchies" when she fell down. She would never have her first kiss, or get married, or know the truth about everything.

"Jesus," I whispered, stepping into my room, "I have got to stop thinking like that."

"Thinkin' like what?" someone said and I jumped, spinning around. "Scare ya?" Daryl asked, smirking.

"Just a little," I admitted, letting out a shaky laugh, "Is that whiskey?" I nodded toward the bottle in his hand. He nodded and held out the bottle to me. I took it reluctantly, taking a big swig straight from the bottle. The familiar burn warmed my body up. "That was nice."

"Yeah," Daryl burped, "So, I been thinkin' 'bout li'l cutie a lot since this mornin'."

"Really?" I raised my eyebrows, grabbing the bottle from his hand again.

"Yeah," he pursed his lips, his southern accent becoming more and more pronounced with every sip of whiskey he had, "And your scars."

"What about 'em?" I stopped and stared at him.

"You're lucky," he grumbled.

"I beg your pardon?" I wasn't sure I had heard him right.

"You had a choice," he said, "I didn't."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I demanded harshly.

"Ya think you're the only one?" he accused.

"Don't talk as if you know what you're talking about," I spat at him, suddenly remembering why I didn't drink.

"I dunno what I'm talkin' 'bout?" he furrowed his eyebrows together, "Bitch, I know more 'an ya think."

"Bullshit," I threw my hands up in the air, "Don't call me a bitch."

"Or what?" he smirked, "You gonna hit me?"

That was when it smacked me right in the face. He had done this on purpose. Daryl hadn't been drinking- that bottle was full when he handed it to me. He had only taken a sip so far. He wanted me to get it out of my system. And me, being stubborn old me, wasn't going to give him what he wanted.

"You asshole," I glared at him.

He shrugged, "You need ta talk ta someone."

"Even if that was true," I spat out at him, wanting to reach out and smack him, "I sure as hell wouldn't be talking to you, dad." I realized what I had said right after I had said it. Tears spilled over my eyes. "Daryl... I'm sorry."

"Don' be," Daryl sighed softly, touching my arm with his hand, "Go eat somethin'. I ain't stupid, Dem. You ain't eaten all day."

Dem. I liked it. So I nodded and headed out toward the kitchen, wondering what the hell had just happened.


	7. The Best Medicine

**So, a longer one this time guys! I enjoyed writing this one, and I hope you guys don't mind that I am kind of a helpless romantic... so it may get corny later on. Haha.**

**Well, reviews guys! (: PLEASE. Let me know where you are at with everything.**

I took a wrong turn, ending up in the rec room. And immediately wished I hadn't. There was Shane, pressed up against Lori, having a heated conversation with her. Lori said something he didn't like and he stepped forward, causing her to sit on the table. He leaned in to kiss her and she scratched his neck, yelling something at him that I didn't fully understand.

Shane stomped off and Lori crumpled into a sobbing heap. I stepped forward hesitantly. "Lori?" I asked softly, getting her attention, "I saw what happened. Do you need someone to talk to?"

"No Demeter," she cried, "Shane is just so stupid. He's going crazy."

"I don't trust him," I whispered to her, "He makes me think of my dad a lot."

"I bet he is a lot like your dad," she snapped, her eyes growing dark.

I nodded. "Well, on Dixon's orders, I'm supposed to go eat. I just took a wrong turn. Too many hallways and rooms in this place," I sighed, "Sorry to intrude."

"Demeter?" Lori asked, coming back down to earth, "What's going on between you and Daryl?"

"Nothing," I said, "At least, I don't think." It didn't mean that I didn't kind of want there to be something. I quickly shoved that thought away, beating myself up for thinking like that right after losing Shelby.

"Well, if it helps," she laid her hand on mine, a knowing smile on her face, "You two are good for each other."

It didn't help, and I couldn't figure out what to say, so I just walked away.

"Pain," I smacked my head on the table the next morning, causing Daryl to smirk slightly, "and it is all his fault!" I accused playfully, not really flirting. I was in too much pain to flirt.

"Whiskey's fault," Daryl rolled his eyes, "Not mine."

"Her fault," Rick laughed, "She drank it."

"Enough of the blame game," Shane stomped into the room, in a bad mood just as I suspected he would be.

"Woah man," T-dog said, "Babydoll, what'd you do to his neck?" he teased, making fun of me for being hungover.

"She wishes she was the one to do that," Shane tried to laugh.

I scrunched my nose up. "In your dreams, Shane. I bet it was Carol," I laughed, not indicating that I had seen anything the night before. Lori looked at me, relief flooding into her eyes. I nodded slightly.

Carol yawned, "I did what?"

"Shane's neck," T-dog winked at her.

Glenn snorted, "Yeah sure. She was the one giving me scratches."

"Glenn," Carol whined, walking over and kissing his cheek, "You weren't supposed to tell."

"Sorry," he smiled at her, pulling her down to his lips.

"Ew," Sophia and Carl groaned, though Sophia was smiling brightly.

"Kids," Daryl rolled his eyes, and I saw a smile slowly spreading across his face. He caught himself and scowled down at his feet.

"Dixon," I sighed,shaking my head, "I'm beginning to wonder if you know how to laugh."

"And I'm beginnin' to wonder if ya know how ta shut your ass up," he tried to glare at me and failed miserably.

I laughed, tossing my head back. "The answer is no," I stuck my tongue out.

He stopped, his eyes softening. I looked back at him curiously. "Dem," he said harshly, though I could tell he didn't mean it that way, "I will stomp your ass!"

"Dem?" Lori asked playfully, "We comin' up with pet names for each other now?"

"Totally," I rolled my eyes, "I'm Dem and he's..."

"Dixon," he finished for me, moodily looking down.

"Dicks in," Glenn snorted, causing the room to erupt with laughter.

Sophia and Carl didn't get it, and Daryl didn't think it was very funny at all.

My smile faded as I watched Carl and Sophia play together. I pulled something out of my back pocket, walking back toward a bathroom down a hallway. I heard someone follow behind me quickly and spun around to face them. "Leave me the hell alone," I snapped at Daryl, immediately regretting it. I didn't really want that. Luckily, he wasn't going for it.

"No," he growled, grabbing my arm forcefully, "Drop it, Demeter."

"Make me, Daryl," I hissed, angry at myself more than him.

He squeezed tighter, causing some of the scratches from earlier to break open. I cried out in pain, closing my eyes and opening my hand. The razor blade dropped onto the floor with a thunk. I looked into Daryl's blue eyes, seeing nothing but concern. A tear fell from my eye, falling onto my cheek. He reached up and wiped it away with his thumb.

"I didn' mean ta hurt ya," he whispered, letting his thumb linger for a moment longer. His hand let go of my arm, but grabbed my hand. His other hand pulled my sleeve up and he winced. "Come on. I'll help ya take carea this."

"I can take care of it myself," I said stubbornly, "I don't need you to babysit me Dixon."

"I'm not babysittin' ya, Dem," he sighed.

"Don't act like you care about me," I cried, "You don't care about anyone but yourself."

"I cared abou' Shelby," he whispered in disbelief.

"Yeah, but not me," I let spill out, wishing I hadn't.

"What're ya talkin'-"

"Shut up!" I screamed at him, running down the hallway.

Someone knocked on my door a few times, startling me out of sleep. I jumped up and walked to the door, surprised to find Daryl standing there. He got really pale when he saw me, slouching slightly. But then, as if it took him a second to remember why he was there, he stood up straight and walked right into my room, gently moving me out of the way before shutting the door behind him.

"What the hell Daryl?" I demanded, crossing my bare arms over my chest.

"Alright," he began calmly, "Now you're gonna sit on that bed, an' listen to every word I gotta say to ya."

"Who says?" I rolled my eyes.

"I say, god dammit," Daryl got frustrated. He grabbed me, lifting me up, and walked over to the bed, setting me down. I just stared at him, my eyes cold. "Demeter."

"What?" I snapped.

"I understand that you're upset abou' Shelby," he started, crouching down on the floor in front of me. He rested his hands on my knees, trying to look into my eyes. I purposefully looked away from him, surprised that he was touching me. He sighed, "Alright. Looks like bein' nice ain't the answer." My eyes snapped over to his as I swallowed hard. "You may miss Shelby, and I am always here for ya when ya need me. But god dammit, Dem. Don' fuckin' take this out on me. It ain't my fault she got scratched, just like it ain't yours."

"What the fuck Dixon?" I responded angrily, "As if you know what it's like..." I trailed off, shaking my head. "No, I'm not taking this out on you. I'm taking it out on myself because I feel like it's my fault," I pointed to my wrist, "You see these?" I looked up at him, "You have no fucking idea! I started this when I found out I was pregnant with Shelby. I almost lost her because of it," I paused, my eyes meeting his hotly, "And now I wish I had. Just like I wish I would have finished the job a long time ago."

"Demeter," he whispered.

"No," I stopped him, "I'm not done." He nodded for me to go on. "Every time I look in the mirror, I see everything I never wanted to be," I emphasized, "I had a child when I was fifteen, and even better than that, _my_ father was my child's father. It's disgusting," I spat at him, my eyes not wavering from his, "And now, I can't even look at a man without getting nervous. I haven't been kissed since I was fourteen years old, let alone anything else. My only memory of being with a guy, is a horrible one," I watched him flinch, feeling somewhat satisfied, "And you? God. You just come right in with a crossbow on your back and steal my daughter's heart. You know what she told me the night your camp was attacked?" I asked and he shook his head, "She told me that she thought you'd be a good daddy," I snorted, realizing that I had no doubt about that, "I wish I could stop there, Daryl, but I can't. What about what you've done to me? I trust you. It didn't take long. And took an even shorter amount of time for me to realize that I actually like you. Jesus christ, I never thought I'd use this phrase again."

"What phrase?" he asked curiously, his voice soft.

"Daryl Dixon, I have a crush on you," I stated clearly, watching the surprise in his eyes, "yet I deny it to myself everytime I see you because it's easier to do that. And it's not like we can relate to each other anyway."

Daryl shook his head, "You're wrong, punk." I just raised my eyebrows in response, feeling like I had done enough talking for the night. "We gotta lot more in common than ya think."

"Prove it," I demanded.

"Fine," he began to unbutton his shirt.

"What're you doing?" I asked, pulling away from him uncomfortably. It was more of a habit than an actual feeling of discomfort in that moment. Actually, a part of me kind of got excited at the thought of Daryl being shirtless around me.

"Trust me," he rolled his eyes, pulling his shirt all the way off.

My eyes widened and I reached out before I could stop myself. Tears came to my eyes as he flinched away from my touch. All over Daryl's chest were white scars. Some were worse than others- the worst of all being a long one that went from the top of his jeans to his shoulder. I tried to trace it with my finger but he caught my hand and shook his head. I stared at him with wonder and curiosity.

"I don' like it when people see 'em," he said softly, "That's why I'm careful 'bout where I get changed an' stuff."

"Why don't you like it when people see them?" I asked him, my voice barely audible as I looked into his eyes again.

"People think they're ugly," he shrugged, "Hell, people think I'm ugly."

"People is a very general statement," I pursed my lips, "And I don't mind them. Each of them tells a story. And you? Ugly?" I snorted with laughter, "Man, that's a joke if I ever did hear one."

"Oh yeah?" he smiled weakly.

"Yeah," I said slyly, "You're pretty good looking."

"Bullshit," he chuckled.

I stared at him, my eyes wide. "Did you just...?"

"Did I just what?" he looked at me questioningly.

I shook my head, wishing he would do it again, and knowing that if I said something, he wouldn't. So instead, I responded with, "Never mind. But I'm serious. You are handsome. In a... hot redneck-bad-boy way."

"Whatever," he laughed.

Yeah, that's right. Daryl Dixon laughed. And I felt pride in the fact that I was the one who made him laugh.


	8. Escape From WIthin

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted... I got grounded and got my laptop taken away. So, I'll try and post a few parts today! **

**Reviews= freaking feul.**

**Question of the day: Where do YOU want this story to go?**

I woke up in the middle of the night, screaming my head off and in a cold sweat. My heart was racing and my head was pounding as I tried to remember what had scared me. Giving up, I stood and walked into the bathroom, turning the water on. Steam began to fill the room and I breathed in deeply.

About fifteen minutes into the shower, the water went cold and shut off. Confused, I stepped out of the shower, wrapping myself in one of the purple towels on the counter. I slipped on a pair of shorts and a hoodie that had been left behind and stepped out into the silent hallway. Maybe I was imagining things. Maybe I had been in there for a really long time and used up all the hot water and unconsciously turned it off.

Whatever it was had me thinking though. What if this place wasn't really as safe as we thought it was? What if Jenner had dead bodies hidden in rooms, or... something wasn't right. I could feel it deep down.

A door opened down the hall and Daryl stepped out, glancing down each way. He saw me and walked my way, still half-asleep. "The air conditioner just went off," he pointed back to his room, "I thought it was jus' in my room."

I shook my head. "My water turned off."

"Get some stuff together," he grimaced, "Somethin' is goin' on."

I nodded and jogged back into the room, grabbing a bag from the floor in the closet. I tossed in a few shirts, a light jacket, a hoodie, socks, undies, two pairs of jeans, a pair of jean shorts, and some yoga pants before deciding to check the bathroom. I looked through the cabinets and grabbed a bottle of ibuprofen, a spare toothbrush, some allergy meds, a box of bandaids, a brush, a handful of hair ties. I checked the closet for a new pair of shoes and found a pair of ankle high leather boots. I slipped a different pair of jeans on and changed into a tight fitting t-shirt, letting my arms show, before slipping the boots on. I checked the bag one last time before leaving it on the bed and stepping back out into the hallway.

Everyone was up now- and worried. Daryl grabbed my elbow as he walked by, dragging me with him. Jenner was in front of us, as was Shane and Rick. They were leading us somewhere. After we stepped through the door to some room, I gasped, looking around. A laboratory... no, not really.

On the far wall, I saw a timer counting down. Thirty minutes and twenty-three seconds. "What's that for Jenner?" I nodded to it, beginning to remember what my nightmare had been about.

"The power goes out," he whispered, sitting in a chair at one of the many computers.

"Thirty minutes remaining," a female voice said, "Preparing for full-scale decontamination."

"What's so special about that?" Lori asked, pulling Carl in close to her.

"This building is designed to keep the computers running until the very last possible second," Jenner explained, "We were the Center for Disease Control. Do you have any idea how many thousands of viruses we have here that could wipe out everyone?"

"I'm not catchin' your drift," T-dog said, his constant smile finally beginning to fade.

"What did this Vi person mean by decontamination?" Andrea piped up, suddenly confused.

Jenner got this serene look on his face. Losing patience, and time, Rick asked, "Alright, Vi. What is the decontamination process?"

"In the event of a major power loss or terrorist attack, high-impulse thermobaric (HITs) fuel-air explosives are to be released which produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear," that voice said again.

"It lights the air on fire," Jenner whispered, staring off into space.

"Everyone go get your stuff," Shane ordered, "We're leaving."

"I'm afraid not," Jenner said and the door, our only way out, slammed shut.

"Jenner," I said, "What the hell man?"

"It's better this way," he said to all of us.

"The hell it is," Carol said, Sophia clinging on to her, "You can't make that choice for all of us."

Shane started to go at the door with an axe, and Glenn tossed one to Daryl, who soon joined in. Jenner shook his head, "It really is though. Think about it. What better way to go than be holding your loved ones close to you for your last few minutes?" the banging on the door continued, and Jenner grew irritated, "Can you please just give up? That door was designed to withstand a high-powered missile launcher."

"Yeah," Daryl growled, spinning around, "But your head ain't!" he started to go after Jenner.

"Dixon," I grabbed the handle of the axe as he swung down, hissing at him, "Think for just a second. Jenner is our best bet. He could be the only way to get out of here right now." When I felt Daryl still trying to move the axe, I tightened my grip on it and yanked it away from him. "Don't be such a dumbass," I spat.

He stared at me for a moment before nodding. "You're right."

"You're lying," Rick accuses, "Jenner, you're lying. Please open that door."

"What does it matter?" Jenner said, "The front door won't open anyway."

"We'll find a way," Glenn said, beginning to plead with Jenner.

"Give us the chance to keep living," Rick begged, "Please. My child, let him live."

And with that, the door was opened.

"Shit," I muttered, holding onto my bag, watching Daryl, Rick, Shane, and Glenn try and break one of the windows, "It isn't working."

"Rick!" Carol yelled, "I think I've got something that may help!" she held up a grenade.

"Jesus," Daryl said and stepped down with the rest of us, watching Rick closely.

Rick pulled the pin and set it on the sill. "Get down!" he screamed, jumping just as it blew up.

The explosion was quick and relatively small, but it got the job done. And no one was hurt. Always a plus. By my calculations, we had about thirty seconds left to get out of here. "Come on guys!" I said, running for the now open window and hopping outside.

Daryl followed closely, the rest of them behind him. We all ran, trying to get to where our vehicles were quickly. I dove, landing hard on the pavement. Instantly, I looked up to see Dale running out of the building, and making out of the line of fire just as the building erupted in flames. I buried my face in my shoulder, shielding my eyes.

My next thought was that that blast was going to attract walkers from everywhere. I stood up before the ground stopped shaking and walked over to Dale's RV. Shane, Rick, Lori, Carol, Sophia, Carl, Dale,Glenn, Daryl... Andrea. I swallowed and looked at Dale, who was crying and looking at the now smokey grounds.

"Where to?" I asked, "We need to move quickly."

"Fort Benning," Rick stated, "It's our closest option."

"Lets go," I patted Dale on the back and headed to Daryl's truck, "Am I driving, or are you?" I tossed over my shoulder.

"I'll drive," Daryl said.

I nodded, climbing into the passenger seat. He got in quickly, looking over at me. I looked back, refusing to look into the backseat. Daryl nodded and grabbed my bag that sat between us, tossing it in the back.

"Sorry," I said, "I didn't realize that would be hard- of all things."

"'S alright," he sighed, starting the truck.

My heart raced when I made a quick move, sliding a little bit closer to him. He glanced at me and raised his eyebrows. I shrugged, saying, "So the blast creeped me out a bit."

Daryl snorted. "Of course."


	9. The Silence That Follows

**This is where I've started to get a bit more original with what I'm writing. I've changed it up a bit!**

**Hope you like it!**

**Review!**

"Shit," I smacked the dashboard of the truck, "And we're out of gas."

Daryl stirred in the backseat, waking from his light sleep. "Did ya just say that we're outta gas?" he demanded drowsily. I nodded angrily as Rick stepped out of his car with a what-the-hell look on his face. Quickly, Daryl climbed into the front seat and got out, walking to the back of the truck and opening the tailgate. "Outta gas!" he yelled at Rick, "I'm thinkin' 'bout ridin' the motorcycle."

"Thanks for ditching me Dixon," I slammed the truck's door, adding mentally, "And leaving me to my own thoughts for a few hours."

He nodded, reminding me that I wasn't the only one irritated with the situation, "You're welcome."

"Sarcasm!" I flipped him off, "Learn it!"

"Tell that to Chinaman," Daryl growled as Glenn came out of the RV.

"Korean," Glenn said, "I'm fucking korean."

"Whatever," Daryl rolled his eyes, beginning to roll the motorcycle out.

Shane got out of his jeep, happily strolling over to me. A goofy smile was placed upon his lips. "Looks like Demeter's ridin' with me."

I paled, shaking my head immediately and glancing at Lori, who had also paled, "No. Fuck no, actually. I'm not."

"Sorry babydoll," T-dog stepped over to me, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder, "No other way."

"I would rather walk," I hissed, looking right at Shane as I said it.

Shane's smile faltered. He grabbed my elbow, trying to yank me near him. "Not a snowball's chance in hell,"he responded coldly.

"Let 'er go Shane," Daryl glared at him, his body suddenly rigid. I could have sworn that his hand moved toward his crossbow impatiently.

"Or what?" Shane grinned maliciously.

My temper flared. No one spoke to Daryl Dixon like that. Except maybe me. I reached around, smacking him across his face as hard as I could. When he still wouldn't let me go, I kneed him in the crotch. "Or that asshole," I shook my arm free, "Glenn?" he paused from laughing to look at me seriously, "Mind riding with Shane?" I asked him.

"No," Glenn sighed, stepping over to the jeep quickly.

I glanced at Lori, noticing her approving and thankful smile. Someone's hand rested on the small of my back for a brief moment. I jumped, spinning around quickly. I sighed when I recognized the sleeveless flannel shirt. Daryl. It was just Daryl. "Sorry," I said, explaining, "You just scared me a bit."

"'S alright," he winked at me playfully, "'bout time someone put Shane in his place."

"I thought so too," my laugh was light, cheerful.

"Ya did good Dem," he said softly so only I could hear before walking away.

Turning on my heel, I smiled to myself.

It was our day for vehicle problems, apparently. Or maybe, it just wasn't our day at all. Which, in the end, seemed more likely.

Not long after we got on the highway, we got stuck behind a huge length of cars, tightly compacted together. We began to weave our way through with Daryl in the lead, but Dale's RV soon began to smoke and stopped working.

"Damn it," Dale hissed, smacking his hand on the steering wheel.

I climbed out of the RV, walking over to where the rest of the group had formed. Dale followed me, looking at the rest of us sadly. Ever since Andrea stayed in the CDC, even Dale's smiles seemed sad.

Rick stepped forward, "What's the problem Dale?"

"Radiator hose," he groaned, "I need to replace it, just like I should have before."

"How long?" I piped up, just because I figured no one else would.

Dale scratched his head. "Few days, at least."

"Alright," Shane ordered, glaring at me the whole time, "Get comfortable."

"Bet we could find some useful stuff," Daryl said, reaching into the trunk of a car beside him.

"Totally," I said, stepping up beside him. My arm brushed against his and our eyes met. As usual, my heart the moment didn't last. He walked away, glancing over his shoulder. "Fuck," my eyebrows furrowed.

"So, you sure there's nothin' between you two?" Lori teased me, whispering as she walked by.

"Pretty positive," I felt myself sadden slightly, "Why?"

"You two just had a moment," Carol joined in, not quite as jumpy as when I had first met her.

"We did not!" Daryl said, overhearing our conversation. But, as he turned away, I could have sworn I saw a smile.

"Defensive much?" I smirked, watching him out of the corner of my eye.

I wasn't sure what it was about him, but there was something that made him incredibly attractive to me. I doubted that it was his tough, redneck composure, or even his abrasive personality. Yet, my heart fluttered whenever I looked at him, and I smiled every time I heard his name. He was quiet, and I could tell there was a story behind the way he was- he just wasn't sharing it. Could it have been his blue eyes? What about his protectiveness? Or maybe the way he just kind of clicked with Shelby...

"It's impolite to stare," Carol said, going through a car near mine.

"Shut up," I muttered harshly.

"This is a graveyard," Lori stood with her hands on her hips, staring down the highway at the miles and miles of cars, "I don't know how I feel about this."

"It's surviving, Lori," I put on my best smile for her.

Rick came up to us, looking panicked. Softly, he whispered, "Get under the cars!"

"Rick-"

"Not now!" he snapped quietly.

Without even hesitating, feeling the urgency behind his words, I dropped down to my stomach and slid beneath the car. Double checking that nothing would be able to see me from around the car, I glanced at the cars around me. Sophia was under a car right in front of mine, Rick was underneath one just ahead of her. Carl was under one next to her, and Daryl was right next to mine. Until, he just rolled out. My heart stopped.

I looked straight ahead, preparing myself for the screams. Rick met my gaze and held up a finger to his lips. I nodded, pressing a hand over my mouth just as the first walkers began to pass. Their feet dragged as they moaned and groaned, smelling even worse than they had in Atlanta.

It was about ten minutes before almost all of them had passed. Sophia, thinking that it was safe, made a move to get out. I smacked the ground, getting her attention. I shook my head and she nodded scooting back under the car quickly.

However, a few of the walkers heard me smack the ground and started grabbing for me beneath the car. Sophia started to cry and I hissed, "Shh sweetheart," and grabbed my knife from my leg, stabbing one of their foreheads. Without a sound, I rolled out from under the car in the opposite way. They quickly followed, reaching for me. There were three left.

Figuring out the best way, I stepped up to the one closest to me and stabbed him in the top of the head. One of the others grabbed my shirt, but luckily it was on my free arm. I reached over, quickly stabbing it in its eye. My heart was racing, though I was still being silent. Just as the third one was about to reach me, I went to a last resort and tossed my knife at it. Satisfyingly, it hit its target, causing blood to squirt all over.

I slipped my knife back on the holster on my leg, walking over to where Sophia was under a car. Bending down, I rested my hands on my knees, "Hey guys," I said, "It's okay."

Carol ran over to me, throwing her arms around my neck. "You saved my little girl," she sobbed, "Thank you."

I smiled warmly, slightly awkwardly, not exactly sure of how to respond. "It was the least I could do," my voice trembled slightly.

"Were you scratched?" Rick asked me harshly.

"I don't think so," I started to study myself, "One grabbed my arm, but I didn't feel him scratch me."

"So none of that blood is yours?" Dale asked me from on top of the RV.

I shook my head, looking around. Finally, I spotted Daryl, carrying a bloody T-dog. Sadly, I feared the worst. Then, as Daryl reached us, T-dog looked up, right at me and said, "My fuckin' arm babydoll. It hurts."

I laughed. "He's good," I responded lightly as I walked to him, looking at his hurt arm. I winced, "Anyone find any gauze?"

"Plenty," Shane held up some.

Sophia looked at Carol seriously as Shane walked over to T-dog. Carol's eyes softened as she looked at her. "What is it Sophia?" she asked her daughter as I watched on enviously.

"I have to pee," Sophia said.

"Go in the RV," Carol smiled in return.

I watched Sophia's eyes roll into the back of her head. As she fell to the floor, I saw a long pink mark on her arm. My eyes filled with tears. "Carol," I rested my hand on her shoulder, "There was nothing... near her... I..."

Carol hunched over, crying, "I know."

I looked under the car, finding a dead walker. Under one if its fingernails was skin. I sighed sadly, relating completely to what Carol was about to go through. "She ran her arm across a...dead walker's fingernail."

"They can kill you even when they've been shot?" Carol sobbed, crouching over Sophia's body.

Her body shook, and Daryl walked over to Carol, setting his hand on her shoulder. When she looked up at him, I saw that look in her eyes. She nodded, holding her hand out, "I know what has to be done. Let me do it."

The silence then was unbelievable.


	10. Hope at Last

**I really enjoyed writing this part :) Hope you enjoy reading it!**

**Please review. You guys' input really helps out! **

I wrapped T-dog's arm up while Carol tried to muffle his screams of pain with her hand. "T-dog," she hissed, "I know it hurts, but you have to quiet down!"

"I can't," he cried, his body trembling.

"Shut the hell up you big baby," I snapped, flicking his hand, "Be a man."

"Whatever Demeter!" he argued, "If you had a cut like this, you'd be crying too!"

"Wanna bet?" I raised my eyebrows, pulling away from him. I bit my lip and looked around at everyone watching me. My eyes met Daryl's and he nodded at me. I couldn't be positive about whether or not it was an approval, but it didn't matter. I was doing this.

"What are you doing?" T-dog cried, wincing away from my touch.

I tossed a hand up into the air, pulling one of the sleeves of the shirt up. Quickly, I pulled my knife out of it's strap on my leg. Sterilizing it, I smiled at T-dog. "T, baby. I'm proving that you need to shut up." His eyes widened as I ran the knife up my arm with slight pressure. Blood erupted from the long gash. I didn't even flinch.

T-dog grew quiet. I continued to wrap up his arm as my own blood ran down my arm. "You're a crazy bitch," he sighed when I was done with him, beginning to work on myself.

"Good song," I squeezed my eyes shut as I poured alcohol on my arm, "Buckcherry, I believe."

"Yeah," Glenn spoke up, "Yeah! It's that one that goes like 'Hey, you're a crazy bitch, but you fuck so good I'm on top of it.' RIght?"

"Exactly," I nodded, opening my eyes and beginning to wrap my arm up.

"Kinky," Rick teased, winking at me. Lori tensed up, then glanced at Shane, nodding. "Where you going Lori?" Rick asked her as she started to walk away.

"Just got something I need to do," she replied, tossing a fake smile over her shoulder.

"Screwing around with his bestfriend isn't exactly a 'need to do' thing," I stated, not thinking about it at all. Immediately, I wished the words had never left my mouth. My eyes went wide as I looked up at Rick, Shane, Lori, and Daryl. "Oh my..."

"Bitch," Lori spat out, stalking away angrily.

"How is she the bitch?" Daryl raised his eyebrows, calling after her.

"She isn't," Rick answered for Lori and followed quickly, "but I got a good feeling about who is."

I could tell that Shane and Lori were the only two that were mad at me for saying anything. Rick seemed thankful- along with hurt, depressed, and angry. But me? Oh, I was just plain old insomniac me. It must have been two o'clock in the morning before I finally gave up on sleep and stepped out of the RV.

"Hey babydoll," T-dog called from on top of the RV, a soft smile on his face.

"Hey T," I responded, smiling back kindly, "You seen Dixon?" He raised his dark eyebrows and pointed at a tent about fifteen feet away. There was a small fire burning on the other side. I shrugged, my smile turning into a childlike grin. "Thanks." Carefully, with my hand on my knife the whole time, I walked around the tent.

There he was, sitting on a tree stump, picking at his nails with his knife. Sighing, I stepped up to him. When he finally looked up at me, the usual scowl on his face, I cleared my throat before speaking. "I was going to go for a walk in the woods... and I was wondering if... maybe... you'd come with me."

He just stared at me. After about two minutes of being silent he answered, "Why?"

"I don't want to go alone," I whispered, looking down at my feet. A deep moan came from the tent next to Daryl's. I smirked, hearing Glenn's name make an appearance.

Daryl rolled his eyes, slipping his knife into his back pocket. "Fine. Lets go."

I smiled triumphantly before beginning to slowly walk toward the trees. As I walked, I noticed a little bounce to it. "Hey T!" I yelled, getting his attention, "We're going for a walk!"

"Who's we!" he replied teasingly.

"Dixon and I," I stuck my tongue out as Daryl stepped up beside me.

"Use protection!" T-dog laughed, earning him a smack on the back of the head from Dale.

"Don't mind him!" Dale smirked.

"Lets go,"Daryl shook his head, clearly irritated.

"They were only joking," I rolled my eyes at him but followed quickly.

"I don' care," he responded harshly.

"Stop being so cold!" I demanded as we began stepping down the slope that lead to the woods.

"Cold?" he questioned.

"If you don't care, just tell me," I hissed. We were about thirty feet into the forest before I went on, "This wasn't a part of my plan. Running into your group. Staying. Losing Shelby."

"Nobody ever plans on losin' somebody," Daryl snorted, his southern drawl becoming more pronounced as we got deeper into the woods.

"You don't say," I glared at his back, "But I also didn't plan on gaining anyone, either."

"Ya got someone ya ain't tellin' me 'bout Dem?" he responded softly, stopping and looking at me.

I stood absolutely still. "I wasn't aware I was telling you anything, Daryl." When he shook his head and began to turn away, I panicked. My hand rested on his bicep, catching his attention. When his eyes met mine, dark without the sunlight, I whispered to him, "Do you care?"

"What's it to ya?" he shook my hand off of him, stopping dead. "Ya hear that?"

My ears perked up. I started to shake my head, but then I heard it. A faint cry. A whimper. A small child. That's what it sounded like. A baby. Inside my chest, my heartbeat quickened. "Daryl- it's crying. We have to... please."

Unable to finish and not wanting to wait for an answer, I took off running in the direction of the cries. "Demeter!" he yelled after me.

I could feel his footsteps behind me, but I didn't care. More like I couldn't stop. Something had kicked in that I had never experienced before. I found a tent in the middle of nowhere- the small cries were coming from inside. I ripped open the tent and fell to my knees beside a very pale looking woman.

The woman's eyes met mine and she nodded between her legs to the baby. I glanced at the baby and then back at her. "What do you want me to do?" I asked her softly, reaching forward and smoothing her hair.

"Save..." she choked, "My baby. Save her."

"I will," I nodded my head, "I promise."

"Be..." she choked again, "Be.. a mother... to her."

"What's her name?" tears came to my eyes.

"You choose," she whispered softly, grabbing my hand. Her eyes closed. "Don't let me be one of them."

I choked out a sob, nodding. I watched the woman take her last breath before stabbing her in the head with my knife. I wiped the blood off and cut the umbilical cord connecting her to the baby. The babies cries were heartbreaking.

Giving the baby a thorough look over, I took a nearby blanket and swaddled her up. Instantly, I was muttering soothing things to her, rocking her to sleep. I knew she must be hungry already, but there wasn't really anything I could do about it. Not here.

I stood up, slightly dizzy, and walked out of the tent, just in time to see three walkers going after Daryl. "Shit," I muttered, wiping away my tears and grabbing my knife. He took out one just as I threw my knife at one that was behind him.

Daryl glanced at me and nodded, "I guess we gotta li'l asskicker." I nodded in return, trying to forget about what had happened in the tent. Daryl took out the last walker and yanked my knife out of the one I had taken down. He walked over to me, handing me my knife and looking into the huge blanket. I trembled, letting a tear fall. "Ya alright Dem?"

I let out a shaky breath, more tears falling from my eyes, and shook my head. "No."

"What's up?" he asked me curiously, touching my arm gently with his hand.

Unable to find the words, I turned around and looked right at the tent. Daryl stepped over to the tent, looking at me before he stepped inside. I heard a sound of pure disgust before he stepped back out, looking somewhat sympathetic. I whimpered as he held his arms up, setting his crossbow on the ground.

Carefully, I walked over to him and buried my face in his chest. His arms surrounded me, his hand running over the back of my head. "Demeter?" he asked, "I'm sorry you had to do that."

I cried again, holding on a little bit tighter to the baby. "I've never ever had to shoot someone that wasn't a walker yet," I tried, realizing how stupid I sounded.

"I know," he whispered, kissing the top of my head, "and, before ya ask, yeah. I do care."

I pulled away from him, sniffling. Tenderly, I looked down at the baby. "Can we go back to camp? I have to ask Carol something."

Daryl nodded, picking up his crossbow. He draped an arm over my shoulder as we walked through the woods. I glanced up at him, seeing his concerned look. Suddenly, about twenty feet away from the slope to camp, I stopped.

His eyes met mine and I knew what he was worried about. Instantly, it irritated me. "You don't have to worry about that Dixon," I smirked angrily, "I'm not a baby."

"Nah," he snickered, "I ain't worried 'bout ya. I may be worried about your arm Demeter. An' even that baby you're holdin'."

"What're you saying?" I raised my voice.

"You're unstable," he stated firmly, standing his ground, "That's what."

It felt like I had been slapped. He started to say something but I held up my hand. "Don't tell me- you only say that because you care."

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Exactly."

"You're a dick," I spat at him.

"Why? Jus' 'cause I said somethin' ya didn't like, punk?" he accused.

"Jesus," my voice wavered slightly as my throat began to close up, "No. Because you are Daryl Dixon." I started to walk away but stopped, thinking of something else to say. "I am sorry I lost my daughter- who happened to be my only lifeline at that point. And I'm sorry I was unstable for a little bit, there. But, Dixon, I am most sorry for leaning on you."

"Don' be," he shrugged, "Look, I ain't no good with people, Demeter," he ran a finger through his shaggy brown hair, "I'm real sorry if I screwed shit up with ya."

"You didn't," I sighed, "Not yet anyway."

"Go talk ta Carol," he shooed me away.

A faint smile creeped up on my face again, my anger seeming to have evaporated. As I stepped back into camp, T-dog spotted me. I lifted my free arm up to wave at him. "Carol!" I yelled, "Carol!"

She stepped out of the RV, wiping under her eyes. "Demeter?" she asked, wide awake still, "What's up sweety?"

I walked up to her, revealing the snoozing bundle. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Slowly, as the group formed around me, I explained, "There was a woman who had just given birth in the woods," a mental image flashed before my eyes and I winced, "We- Daryl and I heard the baby's cries from a little ways off. When we got there, the woman asked me to raise the baby as my own." I single tear fell down my cheek. "I wanted to name her Sophia Shelby Kohen, if that's alright with you Carol."

She nodded, sniffling. "It would be an honor."

"Can I see her?" Carl came bounding over, "Can I?"

"Sure thing," I smiled at him, "Make sure you support her head." I handed her over.

"I want to call her Soby," he stated proudly, "Hello Soby," he got close to her face, kissing her cheek.

"Tha' poor child is gonna have a lotta names," Daryl stepped up beside me, "Li'l asskicker, Sophia, Soby... wha's next?"

"Baby?" I suggested and the group laughed. My eyes met Daryl's and I blushed slightly. He smiled in return, and my next thought was that maybe he wasn't as tough as he seemed. Perhaps he was beginning to crack- open up.

My heart soared. After Shelby and Sophia, this baby was just what we all needed. She was hope. Maybe there was still more than death and survival in this world. Somehow, in this fucked up place, people still managed to love. People still managed to live.


End file.
